An inground pool adds a refreshing touch to a Notre-Dame-de-Grâce backyard in Montréal.

Closed off on one side by a garage and on the other by the rear façade of this early 20th century home, the backyard had barely 1000 square feet to offer for a new inground pool.

Envisioning a small city lake, the architects gave this body of water a soft, curved geometry extending to the garage, where it meets a semi-circular cabana. To minimize visual impact but still control access to the pool, digitally cut steel fences are partially embedded in the ground on one side and built into the stairs on the other. The gently sloping natural concrete on one end of the pool forms a small beach, while the surrounding narrow river stone edge allows lush vegetation to move in as close as possible to the water. Alongside the pool, our little Notre-Dame-de-Grâce family invites you to dive right in!